Pink Prosecco Cake with Chocolate Truffle Frosting

I celebrated my 35th birthday this past weekend with this sparkly gold & pink dream of cake. It's a classic moist vanilla cake made with prosecco and Chambord raspberry liqueur baked into the batter.

I love that the bright pink color makes it fun and youthful, while the addition of a little booze makes it totally grown up.

The frosting is my go-to chocolate frosting, which is essentially just a spreadable dark chocolate ganache that pairs well with the sweet cake.

A thin layer of raspberry jam brings out the flavor.  I kept the decor simple, but elegant, using these adorable edible gold stars that I bought at Michael's.

It's been a few years since I've baked myself a proper birthday cake, and I'm thinking I need to make this a yearly tradition.

What's your favorite kind of birthday cake?

Pink Prosecco Cake with Chocolate Truffle Frosting
Makes one 10" round cake

Ingredients
For the cake
3 cups cake flour (or 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour + 1/4 cup corn starch)
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon red food coloring
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sparkling rose or prosecco
1/4 cup Chambord raspberry liqueur (or substitute more prosecco)

1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam

For the frosting
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and line two 10” round cake pans with parchment paper.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In the base of an electric mixer, beat softened butter and sugar for at least 5 minutes or until light, fluffy, and multiplied several times in volume. (Don’t skip this step!)

Add the eggs, one at a time, waiting until each one is beat in completely before adding the next.

Stir in the vanilla, food coloring, milk, prosecco, and Chambord.

Stir in the flour mixture by hand, just until completely combined with no dried spots.

Divide into two pans.

Bake 30-35 minutes, or until fully baked, golden and slightly pulling away from the sides. Let cool in pan 10 minutes before flipping out onto a rack to cool completely.

Make the frosting while the cake bakes: Heat heavy cream in a medium, heavy-bottom saucepan just until bubbles start to form. Remove from heat and add the chocolate chips and salt. Whisk continuously until melted and smooth. Let cool to room temperature.

To assemble cake. Place one layer on a serving dish. Spread with raspberry jam followed by a generous spoonful of the chocolate frosting. Spread to the edges then place in refrigerator to chill and harden. Once set, add the second cake layer and finish frosting the sides and top of the cake.  Decorate as desired.